1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive display apparatus in which car running condition information such as car speed displayed on an indicating device is reflected by a reflection surface located in front of the driver's seat so that a driver can see the displayed information via the reflection surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional automotive display apparatus of this kind is shown in FIG. 16. In this apparatus, an indicating device accommodating portion 20a is formed in a column cover 20 which encloses a steering rod. An indicating device 50 that displays various operation information is installed in each of the column cover 20 and the indicating device accommodating portion 20a on the side facing the windshield 10. A reflection member 30 with its reflecting surface directed toward the driver's seat is mounted on a dashboard 40 so that the displayed information on the indicating device 50 is reflected by the reflecting member 30 toward the driver. When the driver looks, from around the point 60, at the reflection member, he or she can see a virtual image X of the indicating device 50. That is, the operation information is recognized by the driver.
In this way, when the displayed information on the indicating device is reflected by the reflection surface, the image of the displayed information (virtual image X) is seen at a point on the far side of the reflection surface. This allows the driver, who is looking ahead driving, to recognize the displayed information with only a small change in his line of sight or focus.
Although such a remote display of information can reduce a change in the driver's line of sight or focus by forming the virtual image X as remote as possible from the driver's viewing position, it has the following drawback. The size of an image actually seen by the driver decreases as the distance to the virtual image X from the viewer increases. In other words, the very attempt to improve the level of visibility of displayed information by setting the image formation point as far away from the driver's eyes will degrade the visibility in terms of the image size. Increasing the size of the indicating device itself to solve this problem is not acceptable because of the limited space in the driver's cabin.